Folding poultry crate



April 6 1926. 1,579,755

G. S, CLAF'PER FOLDING POULTRY CRATE Filed Dec. 16, 1922 {Mfg/ 0- @werden in section.

Patented Apr. 6, 1926. i -1 i asians n GEORGE s. CLAPPR, or VALPARAISO, INDiANA.

` 'FOLDING roULTRY-cnarn Appnation'nied December, 16, 1922. serial Naeoases.

To all whom t lmay concer/m( Be it known that I, Gnonsn S. Cnarrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of 'Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful lmproveinentsin Folding Poultry Crates, of which the following is a specification. Y

' My invention relates toimprovements in folding poultry crates, andfitv more especially Yconsists of the features hereinafter pointed out in the annexed claims, p' y n The purpose of my invention is to provide a folding poultry vcrate that is simple inl construction; thatis free from the defects y -and complexity of folding crates as hereto-v fore used; that by means of very simple eX- pedients kforms a very rigid crate when opened and a compact crate whenl closed; that provides means for dividing the crate into two sections when desired so as to prevent the crowding of poultry to either end of the crate; that by reason of a two coinpartment crate the smothering of poultry is prevented which has heretofore ,caused considerable yloss tov shippers; and that by.

reason of a hinged partition it is possible to quickly divide the crate into two sections or leave it in a single section as desired.

Vith these land other ends in View, I illustrate in the accompanying drawingssuch in-` stances of adaptation as Will"'disc1osethe' broad underlying features without limiting myself to the vspecific details shownthereon and described herein.

`Figure 1 is an elevation in cross section looking toward one end of an open crate ready to receive poultry. i Fig. 2 is a similar viewjwith the sides, ends, and top or cover of the crate` folded together von the base. I

section.

Fig. 4 is al crate. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section Vof one ofthe end members ofthe crate. n Fig. 6 is a plan view `ofone of the partition catches. Y l Fig. 7 is an elevation partly in section of the cover' clamping means. A j

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7 also partly In. practically carrying out lmy invention, may use anyv suitable-base lwhich may beT 4:Egzrriiiefl of slats or'board's constituting" C0115',

plates 10 and 'thumb nuts 8" to hold the under side of the cover sections 2 2 and 28. vThese strips 27 and29-are spaced apart so *as to hold the end sections 4in position when top plan view ofV any opened tinuous bottom. It has end cross cleat-s2 -on the under side and other cross cleats 3 located between the ends.

These serve to stiften the base. At each end `of the base 1, there are hinged en'd sections 4 adapted to fold over flatwis'e onto the base when the..`

Vcrate is foldedfor return shipment. These end sections arek formed of'slats or battens that are reinforced by upright battens 5. e5 In addition to the uprights 5, rods 6, as shown in Fig. 1 arealso secured to the battens. These rods terminate in threaded upper ends 9. They cooperate with clamping hinged covers 22 and 23 assembled on the end sections 4. The end sections 4 are hinged to the base 1 by hinges .7as shown in'FigS. '1 and 3.. f

kThe front section 16 is also formed of slats 'that are reinforced by vertical cross `pieces or uprlghts 18 and the rear section y. 15 is similarly made with upright reinforcement 17. lIn addition to these reinforcements, a pair of strips 27 are secured on the inside of sections 15 and 16` at both 'ends thereof, forming av groove between each pair, and l other' similar strips 29 are attached to the thecrate is opened. The lower members 30 of end sections 4 are made somewhat thicker than kthe upper slats and may be' i mortised to receive the uprights 5, as shown lin Fig. 3, and the upper slats of the end n Y the full length of Vthe base, and alongV the .Figa 3 is a lengthwlseelevation partly ink 'By reason of this difference the front kseetion 16 and 'cover portion 22 maybe Hattened as-shown in Fig. 2, on theffoldedin.end ipieces,` and the rear section V151witl1 a cover y f portion 23 will lie flat Yon top' of the front section and its cover portion;V The front 4section `16 and its cover portion 22 are se- Sieilfly ses@eehete-fby einge 25 ting.

rThe hinges 25 and 26 are secured to the iespective portions of the crate opppsiteA theVY reinforcements 17 and V18 and the cover reinforceinents 3S.

rI`he two cover portions 22 and 23 forined of battens 3'? are held in place on the end sections 4 by ineansv ofclanips 10. .These clainps have beveled ends 11 which serve to draw the adjacent slats of the cover portions toward each other and at the sanie tiine, by .reason ofthe thuinb nut 8, serve to hold the ends of the cover tightly and se curely on the end sections 4. Beneath the clainping plate 10 and surrounding the threaded portion 9 coil springs 12 are placed. rilhese serve toraise the clamping plates 10 when the vthuinb nuts 8 are turned to -loosen the clamps. Sufiicient clearance for the springs 12 is foiiiied iii-the adjacent edges of the cover battens which are found under the clamping plates, t thecenter of the covei portions .a hinged hasp 28 is placed. rIhis serves to hold cover portions 22 and 23 together and it inay Ibe secured in any well .known way. This ha'sp when the crate is folded as shown in Fig; 2 cooperates witli a swivel'ed eye 32 which projects .from the strip 14tliereby holding the parts of the crate in folded shape for return shipinent. In addition hooks 33 .-secured to cover portion v23 as shown in `Itigs. l and 2 are adapted to engage eyes 34 secured to the base 1 and .thus hold the ends ofthe folded crate securely to the base. A `hinged y door 24V is placed in the cover portion 23 as shown .in Fig. 6. It is held in place by well known turn buttons.

`The crate is divided into two sections by ineans of a. partition 35 forined of wire net- It is secured to the base 1 'by means of hinges 36. The partition 35 is held in a raised position by a pair of catches 39 pivoted von pivot pin 40. The catches have notches fornied on the under side 'soras to hook over the upper edge of the partition. A coil spring 41 encircles the pivot pin 40 and serves to keep the catch in an engagingV position. A stop 42 prevents the spring 41 frein inoving the catch too far and a turn button 43 serves to lock the catches 39 in place. `When the partition 35 Vis not -in use it will lie flaton the 'base or floor 1 of the cra-te without.v interfering with an end section that will fold over it. i

'In order that the end portions of 'the front andrear sections niay beheld against springing open, flat hinges'lare placed in L line rwith hinges and26 and fiat hingesV 21am-placed' atlthe ends inline witlihinges A 19" and-20. Q; The lower ineinbejr 'of' the. Hat.

rough Auses to which crates of this kind Yare subjected in transit. If desired sinall blocks 4'4 in'ay be placed at each end of the cover portion -23 near the rear edge thereof so as to equalize the height at this portion of the crate to approximately correspond to the projection 9 of the clamping bolts 6. This however, is optional and inay orinay not be used. In (soine cases the prcsenceof such blocks vinay assist in the inoie even stacking 'of filled crates.

In lillingfthe crate the door 24 is opened on its hinges in the usual way. If the crate is .divided into itwo compartments by nieaiis ofthe partit-ion S5, one conipartinent can be filled through `the door 24 and then the partition 35 can be swung vtoward the filled coinpartinent while the other coinpartinent is 'being filled. In this Way the first coinpartinent remains closed by the ypartition (shown in dotted lines of Fig. 3) so that poultry cannot escape while the other coinlpartinent is being filled. l/ihen the crate is completely filled the dooi` 24 is closed and and the partition 35 is locked by the catches 39 and turn buttons 43.

What I cla-iin is:

1. In folding crates, a suitable base, ends hinged vto the base, sides also hinged to the base7 a vtwo-.part cover iii hinged relation to the sides, and ineaiis foi' attachably and detachably holdingvrthe cover parts against separation and at the saine time positively draw the-iii ,aga-inst the ends so as to hold .the parts firmly Vassembled against 'col-lapse while the crate is in active service.

2. A zpoultry crate, adapted to have its sides,V ends and two-.part cover folded on the vbase for re.-shipnient, .a partition foldab-le on the base adapted to stand vertical when the crate is open .dividing the crate into separate compartments, a door within one of the cover parts adapted to vgive access simultaneously or separately to both coinpartnients and ineans adapted to draw the. cover parts toward each other and also Apositively draw lthein againsty the ends said ineans serving to hold the part-s in assenibled relation when the crate is unfolded.

"3'. In folding crates, 'a base, sides foldable thereon, hinges connect-ing the sides to thc base said hinges beingditferentially off-set with respect to the two sides so that the sides lfold* over each other on different planes,. and. a right 'angle extension to the dhinges passing .through the base and being fastened on the under side thereof.

4.' In crates, a base, ends therefor pivoted to fold against the base. a- 'front and. 'back over? the fende, Aand hinges therefor arranged in .two .0i nps one gro'iip for the hinges having their pivotal points on different planes so as to admit of the front and bask being folded against each other the lower half of each hinge being secured on the. under side ot' the bottom.

5. In crates, a base, suitable ends, a fas'- tening bolt secured to the end projecting above the same in a threaded portion, a flanged clamping plate on the threaded portion, a thumb nut above the clamping plate, and a. spring between the plate and the upper edge of the Crate end.

G. In crates, a base, ends and sides there for, va two part hinged cover thereon, fastening bolts projecting from the ends above and between the two parts of the cover, Clamping plates on the bolts, beveled flanges formed on th-e plates adapted to draw the two parts of the cover toward each other, clamping nuts above the plates, and springs beneath said plates adapted to raise the. same when the nuts are released.

7. In Crates, a base, ends and sides therefor, a two-part hinged cover thereon, fastening bolts engaging the ends and extending above the same between the two parts of the cover, clamping plates on the bolts, beveled `flanges formed onv the plates adapted `to draw the two parts of the cover toward each other, cooperating clamping nuts on the bolts, and springs beneath the said plates adapted to raise them when the nuts are released. f

8. In crates, a. base, ends and sides therefor, a two-part hinged cover thereon, fastening means engaging the ends and located between the two parts of the cover, Clamping plates on' such means, means on the plates adapted to draw the two Lparts of the cover toward each other when pressure is applied from one side of said plates, and elastic means operating on the other side of the plates adapted to move the same when pressure is released therefrom.

9. `In crates7 a base, ends and sides therefor, a two-part hinged cover thereon, fastening bolts engaging the ends positioned between the two parts or" the cover, and clamping means on the bolts adapted to hold the two 'parts of the cover against separation and at the same time draw them toward and positively hold them in engagement with the ends in a detachable manner while the crate is in service. y f

In testimony whereof I aliiX my signature.

GEORGE `S. CLAPPER. 

